Bedstead



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. E. PEOK.

BEDSTEAD.

No. 563,059; Patented June 30, 1896.

ANDREW 8.6RMIAM,PIIUTOMTHQWASNINFI'OLILQ (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2" E. B. P EGK.

BEDSTEAD.

No. 563,059. Patnted June 30, 1896.

ANDREW B BRAMAM. PHUTU-IJIHQWASNINGTDR D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y

EDMUND E. PECK, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,059, dated June 30, 1896.

Application filed. April 1 1395- To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND E. PEcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

Lounge-bedsteads have heretofore been made with a central portion or body, and with side sections hinged to the front and back edges of the lounge and swung downwardly, as shown in Letters Patent No. 537 ,7 85, granted to me April 16, 1895. In lounge-bedsteads of this character there has also been applied an arm or head piece pivoted so as to lie down upon the surface of the lounge or to be raised up vertical, or nearly so, when the lounge is opened as a bedstead, but heretofore it has been necessary to manipulate the front and back sections separately in raising or lowering the same.

In my present improvement I connect the front and back sections with the arm-piece or head in such'a manner that when the armpiece or head is swung up vertical, or nearly so, the side sections will be raised up for use, and when the arm-piece or head is swung downwardly the side sections will be lowered was to swing downwardly and out of the way, and a latch is made use of for each side section, to hold the same in position when turned down, and these latches are automatically raised by connections to the arm or head of the bedstead, so as to liberate the side sections and allow them to be swung outwardly and upwardly in spreading the bed for use. I also make use of a foot-board connected by chains to the side sections, so as to aid in supporting them when the head-board is turned up, but when such foot-board is turned outwardly and downwardly the side sections are liberated, so that they can be swung down out of the way, as aforesaid.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view representing the two end portions of the bedstead. Fig. 2 is a cross-section representing the arm as turned up to form a head-board and with the side sections swung up into position for use as a bedstead, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the two ends of the bedstead.

The body of the bedstead or lounge is made Serial No. 587,889. (No model.)

with the legs A and the connecting-frame A at the bottom or foot end of the bedstead, and with the legs B and frame B at the head portion of the bedstead, and these parts are connected by the longitudinal rails O, the parts being suitably bracketed and bolted together as usual.

The side sections of the bedstead are made with the end frames D D and the connecting- 6o rails E, and the side frames are pivoted to the body of the bedstead by the hinges F G, which allow the side sections to be swung downwardly out of the way, or swung up level with the central portion of the bedstead for the reception of a mattress and bedding.

The portions thus far described are well known, but difficulty has been experienced in applying to this character of folding bedstead a flexible wire bottom, because there has not been any means for keeping the flexi-- ble wire bottom distended or spread widthwise. I employ interlaced helical springs extending from end to end, as shown at H, and these are supported by spiral or hour-glass springs R, resting upon the longitudinal rail 0 and at suitable distances apart, and to provide for the side sections being swung up or down without injury to the helical wire springs of the bed-bottom, I disconnect or unlace these springs near the head and foot portions of the bed-bottom and in line with the hinges F, as shown at 4, and in applying the spring-bottom to the bedstead these openings at 4 will gradually widen toward the ends, so as to bring the springs substantially into line from end to end, notwithstanding the contraction widthwise of the bed-bottom and near the middle portion of the same, and these openings at at prevent undue strain upon the longitudinal helices at the edge portions of the lounge when the side sections are swung down out of the way. I also apply longitudinal wire ropes or cords 5 in line with the hinges and with the side openings 4: and extending from end to end of the bedstead, so as to aid in supporting the bed-bottom at the edges of the bottom of the lounge when the side sections are swung down out of the way. These wire ropes or cords are securely 10o fastened at the ends, and they are received into the forked ends of the stretchers 6, that are applied upon the frame of the bed-bottom, and at the end portions with the notches of the stretchers, through which the wire ropes or cords 5 pass in line, or nearly so, with the pivot-pins of the hinges F G. This construction makes a verystrong and reliable bedbottom of wire, and one that is not liable to be injured or drawn out of shape by a person sitting upon the lounge-bottom when the in the proper position by the cross piece 9 cominginto contact with the exterior surface of the head-frame.

Upon the arm-piece K and upon the end portions of the side sections there are projecting eyes or loops 10 and 11 with connecting-chains or wire ropes 12, and these eyes or loops are placed in such a position relatively to the pivots upon which the respective parts swing that when the side sections are swung up horizontal and the arm-piece swung over nearly vertical the chains 12 will be tight and the arm-piece will have been moved so that the eyes 10 pass beyond the line of the hinges 8. Hence the tension upon the chains will not tend to swing the arm-piece back again upon thelounge-bottom, but will tend toswing it in the opposite direction, but the movement is arrested by the cross-piece 9. Hence weight or pressure upon either side-section of'the bed-bottom will not tend to move the arm-piece K, but when this arm-piece K is swung back toward the lounge-bottom the the side sections of the bed-bottom will be lowered by the chains 12, so as to swing downwardly and backwardly out of the way, and

in. these positions the chains 1-2 may hang loosely, but as soon as the arm-piece K is swung upwardly and outwardly the chains 12 automatically swing the side sections of the-bed-bottom up into position for use.

Itis advantageous to make use of latches-L to engage-studs 13 upon the bed-bottom sections when swung down out of the way, the latches being pivoted at 14 upon the head-frame, and it will be apparent that the side sections of the'bed-bottom cannot be swung up until the latchesL are lifted, and to efiect thisautomatically wires, chains, or cords are connected from the-latches to the arm-piece. I have represented wires 15 extending up from the latchestothestuds 16 on the arm-piece, and the positions of the studs aresuch that the wires lift the latches beforethe chains 12 tighten sufficiently'to commence to swing the side sections of the bed-bottom. Hence the unlatching is rendered automatic, and it is sometimes advantageous to apply a spring in connection with the wires 15 to allow the latches to yield as the studs 13 upon the swinging bed-bottoms run under the inclined ends of such latches.

I have represented bends in the wires 15, which allow such wires to yield under the action of the studs and latches, as aforesaid. It is generally advantageous to hold up the side sections of the bed-bottom at the foot of the bedstead as well as at the head, and with this object in view the foot-board N is hinged at O to the end frame A, and it can be swung over outwardly and downwardly against the end frame A when not in use, and when swung upwardly it will occupy a nearly vertical position above such end frame A, and from the end portions of the foot-board the chains S extend to the side frames of the bedbottom, and the positions of the eyes, studs, or pins at the ends of the chains between the foot-board and the side sections of the bed bottom, respectively, are such that when the foot-board is up in position the chains Swill be tight and aid in supporting the side sections of the bed-bottom, but the foot-board can be swung outwardly and downwardly,

and in so doing the chains S will be slackened,

so that the side sections of the bedstead are free to be swung downwardly and out of use, or to be swung upwardly by the action of the arm-piece or head-board. It is. to be borne in mind that when the foot-board N is swung outwardly and downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3- theside sections will be slightly raised by the chains above their normal positions until the chains arein a plane through the hinge-pins, and after the footboard has been turned down the chainswill be sufficiently slack to allow the side sections to be raised or lowered.

The materials of the frame and head and foot board are represented as of wood, but I do not limit myself in this particular.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination withthe end frames andthe longitudinalconnecting-rails, of sidesections, hinges for uniting the sidesections to the frames so that such side sections can be folded downwardly, an arm-piece and hinges j for connecting the same to the-end frame of the lounge, and chains or similar connections from the arm-piece to the side sections for raising up the side sections as the arm-piece 1s swung upwardly and outwardly, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the end frames and the longitudinal connecting-rails, of side sections, hinges for uniting the side sections to the frames so that such side sections can'be folded downwardly, an arm-piece and hinges for connecting the same to the end frame of thelounge, and chains or similar connections from the arm-piece to the side sections for raising up the side sections as the arm-piece is swung upwardly and outwardly, and latches for holding the side sections when swung down out of the way, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the end frames and the longitudinal connecting-rails, of side sections, hinges for uniting the side sections to the frames so that such side sections can be folded downwardly, an arm-piece and hinges for connecting the same to the end frame of the lounge, and chains or similar connections from the arm-piece to the side sections for raising up the side sections as the arm-piece is swung upwardly and outwardly, and latches for holding the side sections when swung down out of the way, and connections between the latches and the arm-piece for automatically liberating the latches before swinging up the side Signed by me this 16th day of April, 1896.

EDMUND E. PECK. 'Witnesses:

GEo. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

